Warhead influence
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsEugene H. Beach, Armand Cioccio, Earl A. Schuchard
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Abstract
An active electromagnetic influence firing system has transmitter coils and eceiver coils mounted on a single warhead section. One set of receiver coils has vertical look capability for detecting surface ships and another set has 360.degree. look capability for detecting submarines. An influence electronics package automatically nulls out directly induced electromagnetic radiation and passes only the signature received from targets. Amplitude, duration, and frequency criteria implemented by circuitry in the influence electronics package determine whether there is a valid target.
Claims8
A warhead influence firing system comprising:
- a warhead section;
- a plurality of transmitter coils mounted on the surface of said warhead section for transmitting electromagnetic radiation;
- a plurality of receiver coils mounted on the surface of said warhead section for receiving electromagnetic radiation generated by a target in response to the electromagnetic radiation of said transmitter coils;
- first means for powering said transmitter coils;
- and
- second means for processing the output of said receiver coils to null out directly induced signals from said transmitter coils, and for generating a firing output signal in response to the electromagnetic radiation generated by said target.
A method for detecting metallic targets and firing an explosive charge, comprising the steps;
- transmitting electromagnetic radiation;
- receiving a portion of the transmitted electromagnetic radiation;
- receiving electromagnetic radiation produced by eddy currents in the metallic target in response to the transmitted electromagnetic radiation;
- subtracting out said portion of said transmitted electromagnetic radiation and detecting the electromagnetic radiation produced by said eddy currents in said target;
- detecting the signature of said detected electromagnetic radiation from said target;
- and
- generating a firing output signal whenever said detected signature satisfies specified amplitude and time derivative criteria.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.